1. A wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am ddefnyddio rhagnodi cymdeithasol yn ne-ddwyrain Cymru? OQ59374

Llywydd, I thank Jayne Bryant for the question. There are many examples of social prescribing services in south-east Wales, including the Ffrind i Mi project, which supports those who are lonely or isolated. Recent research demonstrates a clear year-on-year increase in referrals and use of social prescribing in all parts of Wales.

Diolch, Prif Weinidog. And it's good you've mentioned Ffrind i Mi—a great organisation. I fully welcome the Welsh Government's commitment to developing a national framework for social prescribing. At a time when A&E and GP surgeries are under pressure, it's vital that we grasp every opportunity at preventative care. One example of where this is happening is at the laundry garden at Tredegar House, which is run by the National Trust. Members of Growing Space, a mental health charity, help care for the garden, while members of Woodland Routes to Wellbeing use the garden to gain skills and improve people's mental and physical well-being. And I had the pleasure of inviting you, Prif Weinidog, to see Growing Space back in 2021, so I know you've seen first-hand the excellent work that they do. 

This project in my constituency is an excellent example of using our past and our heritage to improve the well-being of the present. As a country, we pride ourselves on our castles, estates and landscapes; it would be fantastic to see more of them utilised in this way. Prif Weinidog, how are the Welsh Government working with partners like Cadw, Museum Wales, National Resources Wales and the National Trust to promote social prescribing projects, and how are bodies such as these able to work with NHS boards to ensure that front-line staff are aware of the local opportunities so they're best able to refer residents?

Well, Llywydd, I thank Jayne Bryant for that. And I've been fortunate enough to have a number of opportunities to visit Newport and to see the sorts of projects to which Jayne Bryant referred. In fact, I was with John Griffiths only on Saturday at the Maindee Triangle, where the Ffrind i Mi project operates, and not only was I lucky enough to be at Tredegar House for the Growing Space project, but, of course, the Member for Newport West invited me to the Road to Nature project, another example of where social prescribing—those non-clinical, community-based projects—connects people with nature in a way that we know to be so good for their own physical and mental health. 

Llywydd, around 20 per cent of all GP consultations are with people who primarily have a social rather than a medical need for help. And what social prescribing does is it allows those people to be put in touch with that vast range of different services—befriending, book clubs, choirs, running clubs, community gardens, the national exercise and referral scheme. The list goes on and on of things that people can be put in touch with, and, if they're able to take up those opportunities, then it makes that long-term difference. What the Welsh Government seeks to do is to create a national framework where we have an agreed model, a common understanding, and a shared language that promotes social prescribing even further. There's been a consultation on all of that, and the plan is to publish the final framework, and an action plan to support it, later this summer. 

Firstly, I'd like to thank my colleague for asking this important question. Now, I wholeheartedly agree with the need for social prescribing, as the service will undoubtedly help individuals whilst also reducing the pressure on GPs. Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting with the Caerphilly-based company, Signum Health, which uses artificial intelligence and cloud-based technology to deliver remote healthcare and social prescribing within harder-to-reach communities. This Welsh company has already used its technology to cut waiting times in England, managing to clear a dermatology backlog in Swindon in just six months. Most importantly, patients, GPs, pharmacies and other alternative health services can connect directly and share information, meaning patients can connect with local community providers without a GP appointment. Given that we are looking to reduce waiting lists, First Minister, and reduce pressure on primary care services, as well as increase access to important services such as social prescribing, what conversations has the Welsh Government had with companies such as Signum Health to assist in this area, First Minister? Thank you. 

Well, I thank Natasha Asghar, Llywydd, because she makes an important point, and it's one that's been made a number of times on the floor of the Senedd, that the future of health services has to be based on increased use of those contemporary opportunities that developments in technology and artificial intelligence bring us. We learnt a great deal of this during the COVID pandemic, and, as you know, the Welsh Government has an ambition that, in future, many more consultations will take place remotely, allowing people to avoid difficult journeys, and to increase efficiency in the system. I think the practical examples, through a Welsh company, that the Member has raised this afternoon sound very consistent with that general approach. And I know that the Minister has a very direct interest in making sure that we maximise those opportunities, so that the health service is able to provide in a way that takes advantage of opportunities that weren't there in the past but definitely need to be part of the future here in Wales.